Combination chair and table



Dec. 13, 1960 E, M. TOWSE 2,964,098

COMBINATION CHAIR AND TABLE Filed June 19, 1957 I U 1 f 85 50 72 40 1 wI; L D 7 l I VI H. a In l\\ III/I INVENTOR. ELLSWO/FTH IZ 70/4 55. BY

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United States Patent Of ice COIVIBINATION CHAIR AND TABLE Ellsworth M.Towse, 80 Lowell St., Woburn, Mass.

Filed June 19, 1957, Ser. No. 666,682

3 Claims. (Cl. 155123) This invention relates to combination chair andtable structures for infants.

It has heretofore been proposed to provide a collapsible table and chairwherein the chair is supported on a pair of spaced apart chair rails, orbraces, and the table top is slideable above the chair rails as in US.Patent 2,725,094 to Goldblatt of November 29, 1955.

- The object of this invention is to provide a table and chair of thistype wherein the chair can be oscillatable or rigid and nonoscillatablein a number of positions ranging from sitting to reclining.

A further object of the invention is to provide a collapsible chair andtable wherein the collapsible chair can be made rigid at will and inrigid condition can be used as a car chair.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from theclaims, the description of the drawing and from the drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, in section, of the combination chair andtable showing in full lines the nonoscillatin-gsitting position of thecollapsible chair and in dotted lines one of the many nonoscillatingsitting or reclining positions of the chair.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the chair in rigid, nonoscillatablesitting position and adapted for use as a car seat.

Fig. 3 is a rear view of the device shown in Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the front, or cross, barhinge and clamp means of the invention.

In the drawing, 20 is the collapsible table and 21 the collapsible chairof the invention. The table 20 includes a rectangular frame having sideframe pieces such as 22 which include slots such as 23 for a slideabletable top 24, the table top having a 'body opening 25. Table 28 alsoincludes 'a pair of longitudinally extending, laterally spaced,parallel, chair rails 26 and 27 (see Fig. 4) for slideably supportingthe chair 21. A plurality of oppositely disposed, spaced apertures suchas 28 extend along each chair rail for selectively receiving a pin, orpins depending from the chair 21 to lock the same at variouslongitudinal positions on rails 26 and 27. The table legs such as 30 and31 each preferably include a caster 32, a tubular portion 33telescopable in a tubular portion 34, a socket 35 fixed at a corner ofthe table and resilient latches such as 36 and 37 for removal, lockingor adjusting the height of the legs. A resilient latch 38 is provided ontable 20 for locking the slideable table top 24 in position.

The collapsible chair 21 includes a frame 40 having two side members, arear member and an opening at the front. Preferably the frame 40 is ofhollow tubular metal of recumbent U shape with the opposite legs 41 and42 forming the side members, the curved portion 43 forming the rearmember and there being the opening 44 at the front of the frame. Thelegs 41 and 42 are laterally spaced to be slideably supported on thechair rails 26 and 27 and when table top 24 is in closed posi- A2,964,098 Patented Dec. 1960.

tion it closely overlies the legs 41 and 42 to prevent thelifting of theframe from the rails 26 and 27.

A detachable front, or cross, bar 46 is arranged to extend laterallyacross the opening 44 of frame to connect the forward ends 47 and 48 ofthe side members, or legs, 41 and 42. The bar 46 includes a downwardlyextending pin such as 49 or 50 at each opposite end thereof adapted toenter corresponding holes in the forward ends 47 and 48 and thence toenter oppositely disposed apertures such as 28 in rails 26 and 27 toselectively lock the chair frame 40 in various longitudinal positions.Preferably each pin 49 and 50 forms the terminal end of a hook such as52 or 53, the forward end 48 includes a side hole 54 and a bottom hole55 and the forward end 47 includes a slot 56 and a bottom hole 57. Thepin 49 may thus be hooked into side hole 54 and bottom hole 55 to formhinge pivot means for the limited sidewise and downward movement of thebar 46 as well as a lock means. The forward end 47 includes a knob 58, aknob shank 59 threaded in the forward end 47 and a jaw member 60. Thepin 50 and book 53 may thus be lowered into slot 56 until the pin entershole 57 and an aperture 28 whereupon knob 58 is turned to clamp the hook53 between jaw member 60 and the side 61 of slot 56.

Collapsible chair 21 includes aseat 64 having a back 65 hingedlyconnected thereto by hinges such as 66. A pair of front and rear, spacedapart parallel, unitary hangers are mounted on each side of chair 21such as the hangers 67 and 68 and the hangers 69 and 70. The hangers 67and 69 thus are the forward hangers and the hangers 68 and 70 are therearward hangers. The hangers are identical and the upper end of eachhanger is pivoted as at 72 to a leg such as 42 and the lower end of eachhanger is pivoted as at 73 to the seat 64.

A flexible strap 74 is attached below the front of seat 64 and to themiddle point of front bar 46, the legs of the infant straddling the sameto prevent sliding off the seat. Strap 74 is not, however, relied uponto prevent oscillation of the chair in the various positions rangingfrom sitting to reclining. Instead, locking straps 76 and 77 of rigidmaterial, is provided for this purpose on each opposite side of chair21. The rigidlocking straps 76 and 77 are each preferably identical inlength with the hangers such as 67 and each locking'strap is pivoted atits lower end on the pivot axis such as 73 of the forward hangers 67 and69. A female snap fastener 78 or 79 of a well known type is provided onthe free terminal upper ends of eachlocking strap 76 and 77 and a malesnapfastener 81 and 82 is mounted on the inside'of the forward hangersat the pivots 72. The locking straps may thus be snapped into a positionalongside the forward hangers when free oscillation of the chair isdesired.

A second set of male snap fasteners 83 and 84 are mounted on the insidefaces of opposite intermediate points along the rearward hangers 68 and70 and adapted to receive fasteners 78 and 79. As shown in full lines inthe drawing, when the locking straps are attached to fasteners 83 and 84the chair 21 ceases to 'be collapsible and becomes rigid and nonoscillatable in a sitting position. Thus when an infant is lowered intothe chair table, the chair presents a rigid support which tends to allaythe fears of the child and makes feeding easier.

A male snap fastener such as 85 is also positioned on .the inner face ofeach rail 26 and 27 to receive the female fasteners 78 and 79 when thechair is to be in the reclining position shown in dotted lines inFig. 1. In this position the chair 21 is rigid and non oscillatable andthe child can be lowered into the chair with the connector 74disconnected to avoid having to direct the childs legs on each oppositeside of the same. By attaching the rigid locking straps to the fasteners85 and then sliding the frame 40 to various positions along rails 26 and27 vari ous angles of recline can be achieved depending on the numberand spacing of the apertures 28.

A foot rest 89 and calf rest 90 are supported on a pair of aperturedmembers 91 and 92 pivotally connected to the seat 64 at 73 and having aprojection such as 93 adapted to engage the rear edge of the forwardhangers. Thus the angle of the foot and calf rests change with the angleof the hangers and the foot rest 89 may be located in desired aperturesby means of wing bolts such as 94, upon which it is also pivotable forfoldability.

The chair back 65 includes spaced clips 96, 97, 98 and 99 for turnablysupporting a pair of elongated car hooks 100 and 101 on the rearwardface thereof. Each car hook such as 100 extends the full height of theback 65, the hooked portions 102 and 103 being attachable over the backof an automobile seat and the lower terminal end portions 104 and 105being bent at substantially right angles to form arms which extend underthe seat 64 when the hooks are turned from a fiatwise position againstthe back 65 to a position normal thereto. When the locking straps 76 and77 are fastened as shown in Fig. 2 and the chair is in rigid sittingposition, the bent portions, or arms, 104 and 105, are resilientlyreceived in the clips 106 and 107 mounted under seat 64 and detach-ablylocked in position. It should be noted that the front bar 46 may beremoved with its pins 49 and 50 when the device is used as a car seat sothat the legs 41 and 42 become smooth chair arms and there is no rigidcross bar against which the infant might be thrown. A pair of D rings107 and 108 are provided on the rear face of back 65 together with asafety belt not shown which may be passed through space 110 between theback 65 and seat 64 and encircled around the infants body for safety andsupport purposes.

It should be noted that the hooks 100 and 101 serve as convenienthandles for turning the arms 104 and 105 from the inoperative positionshown in full lines in Fig. 1 to the operative position shown in dottedlines in Fig. 1 and in fufl lines in Figs. 2 and 3. When the arms 104and 105 are in locking engagement in the clips 106 and 107 the car hooksmaintain the angular relation of the back 65 to the seat 64 even thoughthe straps 76 and 77 are released, the seat pivoted to the positionshown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and the straps 76 and 77 refastened tothe snaps 85. The back of a very small infant may thus be firmlysupported for sitting, with the seat in the forward, raised, dotted lineposition of Fig. 1, or the handles 100 and 101 may be turned to releasethe arms 104 and 105, thereby permitting the back 65 to fall rearwardlyonto the portion 43 of frame 40, the back 65 being so shown in dottedlines in Fig. 1.

1. In a combined table and chair for infants, the combination of a pairof parallel, longitudinally extending, laterally spaced chair rails eachmounted along an opposite side of the upper portion of said table; achair mounted for longitudinal sliding movement on said rails, saidchair including a frame supported on said rails, two pairs of parallelhangers of rigid material depending from said frame and a chair seatsupported at t-he terminal ends of said hangers for free, longitudinal,oscillating, movement relative to said frame; a chair back pivotallymounted on said chair seat for free longitudinal oscillating movementrelative to said seat; means on said frame and chair rails for lockingsaid frame in selected longitudinal positions relative to said rails,means on said hangers and chair rails for locking said chair seat inselected positions of oscillation relative to said frame, and means onsaid chair back and seat for locking said back in an upright positionrelative to said seat in any of the aforesaid selected positions.

2. A combination as specified in claim 1 wherein said means on saidhangers and chair rails for locking said chair seat in selectedpositions of oscillation relative to said frame comprises a pair oflocking straps of rigid ma= terial, each pivoted to the terminal end ofone pair of said hangers and each having its opposite end connectable tothe opposite end of said hanger, to the middle of the adjacent hanger orto the forward portion of the adjacent chair rail.

3. A combination as specified in claim 1 wherein said means on saidchair back for lockingsaid back in an upright position relative to saidseat comprises a pair of car hooks extending the full height thereof andturnably I mounted thereon, each having a lower terminal end portionbent to form an arm which extends under said seat] when said hook isturned from flatwise position against"- said back to a position normalthereto and clips under said seat for detachably locking said arms tosaid seat.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,397,528 Brandwen Apr. 2, 1946 2,509,036 Cox et al. -22- has; May 23,1950 2,551,999 Ditty .5 May 8, 19 51 2,675,858 Cotter Apr. 20, 19542,683,482 Puls July 13 1954 2,725,094 Goldblatt et al. Nov. 29, 19552,774,411 Berlin Dec. 18, 1956 2,857,956 Thompson Oct. 28, 1958 FOREIGNPATENTS v France Mar. 5,

